


Kurapika x And x Rori

by DecemberWildfire



Series: The Kurapika x Rori Chronicles [1]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Hunter X Hunter, Naruto
Genre: Boruto - Freeform, Crossover, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Kurapika - Freeform, OC, Romance, faith - Freeform, hunterxhunter - Freeform, hxh - Freeform, naruto - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24459733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberWildfire/pseuds/DecemberWildfire
Summary: Kurapika has accomplished his ultimate mission and is left alone and empty. In a turn of events, he ends up meeting the two loves of his life. (HxH and Naruto crossover)
Relationships: Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Kurapika x Rori Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776271
Kudos: 28





	1. Darkness x And x Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who doesn't know, I've been playing around with the idea of a Naruto and Hunter x Hunter crossover for a while; literally because one night I randomly had a dream where Kurapika ended up dating my Naruto OC Rori lol. 
> 
> Rori Greene is Gaara's daughter, and her mother is Harley Greene, my other Naruto OC. So in a sense, this is a continuation of my previous Naruto fics, taking place a little after the current next generations/Boruto era. 
> 
> (I HC Kurapika as demi FYI)
> 
> For a list of headcanons on the Naruto/HxH universes and more OC info (for context), see my Deviantart @ DecemberWildfire.
> 
> (Kurapika does NOT die in the upcoming arc, idc what anyone says or what might be implied. Don't @ me with your negativity.)
> 
> So uh… it's been quite a while since I've written a heavily faith-based fic, but just a heads up, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.

_I am the last survivor of the Kurta clan._

_My entire clan was annihilated by a band of criminals._

_I wish to become a hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe._

_So I've sworn to capture the Phantom Troupe… and recover the eyes of my clan!_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

He finally did it. His personal mission was accomplished.

Kurapika Kurta, now 21 years old, was lying on the floor, staring at the dark ceiling. He had been living in a vacant unit at the Nostrade mansion, where he safely stored the retrieved eyes of his deceased clan members.

He had barely come out alive from his final mission. Once he had all of the eyes, he had a private funeral for all of the clan members. And after that he just… isolated. He kept in contact with no one. He mostly just stayed inside, lost in thought. Tormented by guilt.

That's not to say that he didn't _think_ about his old friends often. Leorio, Gon, Killua… _former_ friends, he figured. He hadn't spoken to them in years. He ignored their calls and all other attempts to contact him. He figured they hated him for that; or at least, had disregarded him and moved on. Especially after he found out about what happened to Gon a couple years prior and how awful he felt for not being there. And surely they wouldn't want him as a friend if they learned of the… shady and aggressive methods he had to resort to in order to retrieve some of the eyes.

Truthfully, he hadn't been keeping his distance from them solely to minimize distractions from his mission. He just couldn't bear the idea of them getting hurt again, or killed, by the Troupe. Not after what happened last time they tried to help him. It was better that they hated him but were alive and safe, than to have stayed in touch and potentially died.

Now it was all over. He had no friends or family. And he was left with the painful, lingering question of, "now what?"

His mission was accomplished and he had never felt emptier in his life.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was another quiet day at the Nostrade mansion.

"Hey. Have you seen Kurapika lately?" one servant asked another.

"No, I haven't. He's always cooped up in that unit on the top floor. Hardly ever comes out."

"I know, but it's been abnormally long. He won't even talk to Neon anymore. Think we should go check in?"

"You know he doesn't like that."

"I know. But I'm getting a bit worried. We should, you know, make sure he's still alive up there."

The two headed up the many staircases leading to the top floor of the mansion. The first servant proceeded to knock on Kurapika's door; only to be met with silence.

"Kurapika?" he called out nervously. "Are you all right in there?"

More silence.

"Think we should go in?" he asked the other servant.

"Don't you dare. He'll be PISSED if you do."

"I'll take the heat," he replied, pulling out the master key.

"Fine, but just… whatever you do, don't go near those eyes. He'll kill you if he finds out."

"I know that."

He slowly opened the door to the dark, quiet room.

"It's… empty? Where did he go?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The large town was called Nisoki.

He didn't really know what he was doing there. He just… wanted to explore someplace new; a place that wasn't tainted with bad memories.

The lonely hunter felt like an outcast walking down the streets of that city. The people all seemed so happy, just going about their business without a care in the world. Kurapika, on the other hand, was moping and clearly hadn't had decent rest in a very long time, as could be seen by the dark circles under his eyes.

He had been walking aimlessly for miles; God knows how many. Suddenly, he heard a voice call out from behind him.

"Hey! You there!"

He turned around to find a young red-headed woman about his age chasing after him. He tensed up, though he sensed no malice.

"Hey, is this yours?" she asked, holding out his hunter license. "I think it fell out of your pocket back there."

"Oh? Thank you," he managed.

_How could I not have noticed that?_

"Glad I caught up to you. Well, I'm running late so I gotta run. See you around!"

As he watched her take off, he couldn't help but feel a… _different_ kind of vibe about her, despite the very brief encounter. It was bizarre.

Shaking off the thought, he continued walking when he saw a guy struggling with a bunch of boxes, eventually collapsing. He figured he'd go help, since no one else was even giving him a second glance.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lifting up a box.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, man. Guess I overestimated my strength and brought too many."

"Don't mention it."

He looked down and noticed the words "Chi Alpha" written on the boxes.

"What is all of this for?" he felt inclined to ask.

"It's for a conference we're hosting here in town. We're still getting unloaded, but we'll be here for a couple of months."

"What is this group you're with?"

"We're a ministry group called Chi Alpha. It means 'Christ's Ambassadors.'"

"I see."

"My name's Shea, by the way. Can I get your name?"

"No, you cannot."

"Okay, that's fine, no judgment. Excuse my boldness, but… you look pretty wiped out. Can I get you a drink or something?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine."

"Come on, I insist. It's the least I can do to pay your back for your help. Why don't you come to the conference center with me for a bit? I'll probably need a little help transporting these boxes over there anyway."

Though hesitant and slightly annoyed, Kurapika gave in. He wasn't too sure why. Turns out he missed genuine human interaction more than he thought. And something felt different about Shea; the same feeling he got from that girl earlier. He was a little intrigued by it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The two entered the massive hotel and made their way to the large arena with the boxes.

An older woman came up to them, seemingly excited to see a new face.

"Thanks again, Shea," she said. "And who might you be?" she asked Kurapika.

"He doesn't feel comfortable giving his name out," Shea said.

"Well, I'm Kelly. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for helping Shea out. We're a little short-staffed today so he insisted on taking on all of the unloading jobs."

"It's no problem. Glad to help."

"Those boxes can all go anywhere by the stage. We'll take it from there. Thanks again!"

The two proceeded down to the huge stage and set it all down. It was a conference room, but it really looked like a concert venue. Shea went over to a cooler and grabbed a soda, handing it to Kurapika.

"That was a long walk. Let's sit for a minute," he said.

Sitting at the edge of the stage, Kurapika still was wondering what exactly he was doing there. He certainly didn't expect to end up in a place like this when he spontaneously left town for the day.

"So, what kind of conference is this, exactly?" he asked.

"We're here to spread the message of Christ and bring hope to the people of this town. That's really our mission in life, as Christians. We've been wanting to do a big, ongoing conference for a while, and when praying about the location, we felt that God was telling us to come here. By no means do we intend to be forceful or anything, but this whole conference is an open invitation and anyone can come in. It's actually set up like a rock concert on some days, which I think is really cool. And it won't just be a bunch of preaching; we have so many people in our group with real stories of how they found the Lord and found healing from their brokenness, and we believe that those stories will give hope to those who have none, and help people encounter God when they never have before."

"That's… interesting, I guess."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your faith background?"

"I don't really have one. I've never really been into religion or anything of the sort, though I consider myself relatively familiar with Christianity."

"I hear you, man. Here, we're not into religion either."

This confused the hunter.

"What do you mean?"

"We don't like the word 'religion,' because it typically refers to a bunch of rules and man-made traditions, and really just a legalistic way of looking at things. That's not what Christianity is about. It's all about _relationship,_ and that's a cliche for a reason. God didn't put us on this earth just to tell us what to do and not to do; he wants our hearts. He wants a genuine relationship with us because he loves us."

That was an interesting take on the whole religion thing that Kurapika hadn't heard before, though he never really thought about these things much. More than anything though, he was fascinated talking with Shea.

_Guess it really has been a while since I've had a real conversation with someone…_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It took a lot of convincing, but Shea ended up talking Kurapika into staying for at least the first session of the conference that night.

It turns out that woman Kelly's husband was the main preacher for the group. He was a highly intelligent man and an excellent speaker. He did sort of an introduction and explained the group's purpose, for all the new people who were there.

He then invited a few people to come up and share their testimonies.

There was a girl who was once suicidal before encountering the love of God and finding a healthy community. She now leads a faith-based support group for people struggling with that.

There was a guy who had once hated religion because he only ever knew a legalistic way of viewing it, and hated the hypocrisy and horrible examples that he witnessed by "Christians" he knew. That all changed when he found Chi Alpha and experienced Christ's love for himself. It washed away all the lies.

And then... there was a guy who had lost all of his family when he was young in a car accident, and was alone for a very long time. How could he believe in God after something like that? He went on to explain why, noting that he had literally felt God's embrace at one point, once he finally let his guard down for just a moment. This shook Kurapika's heart a bit.

As they were ending, the band came up to the stage and started playing covers of Christian rock songs.

"This is the rock concert aspect I was talking about," Shea whispered. "Looks like people are into it."

Kurapika noticed the drummer get up and come to the front with the singer, and he recognized her as the girl from before who returned his license.

"It's her…" he whispered, not realizing it was out loud.

"Who? The redhead girl?" Shea asked. "That's Rori. She's one of our conference leaders."

The lead singer, who introduced himself as Benji Yamaguchi, began to speak with such intense passion that it sent chills down Kurapika's spine.

"Did you all know, that every single day, everyone in this arena, when we wake up in the morning, that there is a war going on? I'm not talking about shinobi wars; and I'm not talking about hunter wars. Tonight, Nisoki, I'm talking about a war for your souls! And in this war, some people will try to tell you how to live, and they'll tell you how to think, and they'll tell you what you can and cannot believe. And I don't know about you, but I am tired of being told what to do! I'm here to tell you that the Bible says, 'I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!' It is the power of God for salvation! So my question for you tonight is: who cares what they say?!"

They then began to play a cover of Skillet's song "Awake and Alive."

Much like most people there in the back with them, Kurapika and Shea weren't going crazy like the main crowd up front, but were just watching and listening (and obviously, Kurapika isn't exactly the mosh pit type, so he was glad to be in the back). He looked around and saw several people around him crying.

The stirring in his soul hadn't stopped and he couldn't understand it. But in the midst of it all, he felt… _safe_. He didn't notice the single tear falling from his own face, which Shea caught sight of.

"Hey, you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he uttered four words.

"My name… is Kurapika."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"I guess I should be heading back," Kurapika said, exiting the arena at the session's end.

"Where to?" Shea asked.

"Just… back."

He hardly considered the Nostrade mansion to be home, but he didn't have one to return to. Shea picked up on that.

"Why don't you stay here?"

"What?"

"Yeah. Stay with us, if you want. Your hotel room is totally on us, so don't worry about that. You can come to the conference sessions, or just hang out. Whatever you want."

Just then, the redhead girl passed by them, before doing a double take at Kurapika.

"Oh, hi! You're that guy from earlier!"

"Yes, I remember you. Thanks again for returning my license."

"Sorry I had to rush off before. I'm Rori Greene," she said, holding out a hand.

"Kurapika," he replied, shaking her hand.

"It's really cool to meet you. I haven't met many hunters before."

"And I haven't met many shinobi," he said. "Shea mentioned you're a kunoichi from Sunagakure."

"Oh, I'm hardly a shinobi. It's really just a bloodline thing, heh…" she said nervously. "So, are you here for the conference? An old friend of Shea's?"

"No, we just met today. I'm just passing through."

"I'm trying to get him to stay a while," Shea said, winking.

"You should!" Rori exclaimed. "I mean, if you want to of course."

Never under normal circumstances would he agree to something like this; especially with people he just met. But it's not like he had anything else to do. It was just that… being in the presence of these people, this community... he felt safe and at peace, in an inexplicable way. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like that. He wondered if it would last.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next morning, the pastor was talking about freedom and suffering.

"If we have the freedom to love one person only, we have the freedom to hurt one person only. If we have the freedom to love them a little, we have the freedom to hurt them a little. If we can love them a great deal, we can hurt them a great deal. And so on."

~.~

"The fact that we humans have such an incredible amount of potential for evil, then, is to my mind indicative of the fact that we also have an incredible amount of potential for good. Yes, there are Hitlers and Stalins in the world. But there are also the Raoul Wallenbergs, the Mother Theresas, the Martin Luther King Jrs. And I don't see how you could have the latter without at least risking the possibility of the former. If we have the potential to oppress or slay millions, it's because we also have the potential to liberate and love millions. I can see how it might be seen as bad management, and perhaps it would be if there were some other way of doing things. But I don't believe there is."

~.~

"So is freedom worth the cost? Under the impact of nightmarish tragedy, it is certainly understandable that one might think not. But consider three things: first, in our own lives, we all know love can hurt. In loving another person, in raising kids, in developing deep friendships, we often suffer a great deal. People reject us, they die, kids rebel, and so on. And yet, we continue to love. We normally regard it as cowardly, as tragic, and as terribly unhealthy not to do so. If a person never loved, they'd never suffer. But then again, they'd never really live."

~.~

"C.S. Lewis once said this..."

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

Kurapika quietly exited the arena in the middle of it all. It was too much.

Rori came out and found him sitting on one of the couches.

"Hey, are you doing okay?"

"Sorry. It's just a lot to take in."

She took a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table.

"Can I ask… are you a believer?"

"No, not really. I suppose I'm agnostic if anything."

"So what's your story?"

_I just met this person yesterday. She seems nice, but is it really a good idea to mention anything personal?_

"I don't mean to pry, but…" she continued, "what's bothering you? I could tell something was up when I met you."

_But at the same time… what do I have to lose at this point?_

"I'm… the last surviving member of my clan," he mumbled.

"What clan?"

"The Kurta clan."

Her eyes widened at that statement as she gasped.

"The... Kurta clan? I thought- I mean, I heard what happened all those years ago, and my heart broke. My mom and I prayed for you all; for any loved ones of the clan's members and everything, and I had no idea there was still…"

She suddenly got up and hugged him, crying.

"Thank God! You're still alive..."

Kurapika was so thrown off guard. Here was someone… who not only knew of his clan, but _cared?_ And was now weeping for him, even though she hardly knew him?

"I'm so sorry," she finally said, looking into his eyes. "I can't begin to imagine what you've been through. I know you don't know us yet, but just know that all of us here in Chi Alpha, we're here for you, always. If you ever want to talk, or…"

She noticed that his eyes had turned scarlet, as tears streamed down his face. He felt so much emotion in that moment, but oddly enough, anger wasn't part of it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

About a week had passed. Kurapika had been spending a lot of time with Shea and Rori, as well as a couple others in the group, learning more about their beliefs and Biblical history.

Low-key, he was starting to wonder if it might all actually be true. It wasn't just the strong arguments they provided to back up their faith; it was the stirring and conviction in his heart. And also, watching the people of Chi Alpha and how they lived, how they treated people… how they treated _him_ with such genuine kindness and brotherly love, even though they had no reason to, it seemed. It was all like nothing he had ever experienced before.

He still hadn't dared to open up about his past and retrieving his clan's eyes, and the unethical methods he used at times. But one day, sitting across from Rori at their usual spot in the lounge, she kind of pushed him; though it was unintentional.

"So you were twelve years old when the massacre happened, and took the hunter exam at 17… four years ago. So, what have you been doing since then? Have you been alone all this time?"

"No. I made a few good friends along the way. We just sort of... drifted apart after a while."

"What were you doing before you came here?"

_I don't want to answer that._

"Just…"

_But I know I can trust her... right?_

"I was…"

_Oh, why does it even matter? Honestly, what is there to hide anymore? What do I have to lose?_

"All right... I'll be honest with you. But first, give me your word. You must promise not to spread this around. Just keep it between us. If anyone is going to know, I need to know that I can trust them and be the one to tell them."

"Okay, I promise."

Kurapika brought out his dowsing chain and held it in front of her. It remained still.

"You're not lying…"

He took a deep breath before beginning.

"The past few years, I was retrieving the stolen eyes of my brethren. And eliminating the Phantom Troupe, who were responsible for my clan's demise."

He opened up, going into way more detail than he would've ever expected. It just came flowing out.

Honestly, despite the immense guilt and shame, it felt relieving to just _tell someone._ And Rori listened intently, without a hint of judgment in her eyes. She could tell that he was repentant and truly kind; that the "cold-hearted monster" he became, as he stated, wasn't who he really was.

Shea eventually came and sat with them, as Kurapika was nearing the end of his story.

Suddenly, the hunter felt a wave of rage and intense sorrow rush through him as he recounted everything. He pounded his fist on the table and began to sob angrily.

"Why?! Why did this happen? If there really is a God who's supposed to love us, why did He let this happen to my clan?!"

His two friends moved over to his side of the table and gently placed hands on him.

"Kurapika…" Rori spoke softly. "Let it out. It's okay. God loves honesty and He's not offended by it. He wants your honest, real heart."

"I don't know why," she continued after a moment. "I wish I had an answer for you. I really do. But what I do know is that every time you've been hurting, every moment, He's been hurting WITH you. His heart breaks when your heart breaks. His heart breaks for your clan. It's just that... sometimes, even though it's _so_ hard, we have to trust Him even if He never tells us why. I've lost people in my life too, and even though I've never gotten any answers as to why, I've received healing and peace instead. Getting an answer wouldn't have given me the healing that His love did. He wants to heal your heart, if you'll let Him."

Still sobbing into the palms of his hands, his anger turned to complete sorrow.

"What was I thinking? Retrieving all the eyes was never going to bring back my brethren. There's nothing I can do to bring them back!"

The two did their best to comfort their grieving friend, praying over him and continuously reminding him that they were completely, 100% there with him. It lasted late into the night.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next day, Kurapika came down to the lobby and caught sight of Rori sitting with another girl at the small coffee shop there.

He felt bad about the night before, and figured he at least owed her an apology.

"Rori?" he muttered, slowly approaching after the other girl left.

"Hey, you! How are you doing?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for blowing up last night. I'm truly embarrassed at my behavior."

"No apology needed. We all have those moments now and then. And you were being honest, and we love that."

"I appreciate you taking the time to hear me out and listen to my story."

"Of course. Here, why don't you sit down?"

She motioned towards the chair across from her, and he complied.

"I didn't want you to have to know about the things I did…" he said. "I guess I was worried you'd all lose trust in me and possibly turn on me if you knew."

"I understand where you're coming from. Fear of abandonment, loss, betrayal… in our ministry, we call those kinds of things 'orphan spirit' wounds. Hurts in our past can cause us to become guarded. But I hope you know by now that none of us are going to hate you or leave you."

"I don't think I could ever recover or make up for everything, or even forgive myself. I went too far. I was so blind with rage. I did unforgivable things."

_Even with the Troupe… they were still people, and they cared for each other..._

"That's not true," she said firmly. "You're not too far gone. The fact that you're repentant proves that. We all sin. We're all broken. While it's true that some sins have larger and more devastating consequences than others, none of us are perfect. None of us have it all together. Jesus died to take away every single sin, and His mercies are new every morning."

"It's probably easy for you to say. I highly doubt that any of you here have done the things that I have, or lived a life of vengeance. You all seem so righteous, at least by comparison."

"Maybe we haven't done the _same_ things, but that doesn't mean we're righteous. We're far from it, believe me. It's important to recognize the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is a negative feeling we experience about what we have done. Shame is a negative feeling we experience about _who we are_. God doesn't want us to feel the latter."

She paused for a moment.

"Listen, since you were so open and honest with me yesterday, I'll tell you a story about my past."

His eyes widened with intrigue.

"Someone's marriage was destroyed because of me."

"Because of _you?_ "

"When I was 18, I dated my first boyfriend. I really felt like I was in love, and I idolized him; I didn't really know Christ back then. We didn't really have any boundaries. Eventually, one day my best friend Wendy, our band's bassist, decided to look him up on a bunch of social media platforms, just for fun, but found evidence of his wife. He lied when I asked, saying she was his cousin, but he was such a good liar that I believed him, at least at first. But deep down I knew; I just didn't want to believe it. Later on his wife found out about me and ended their marriage."

"That wasn't your fault," Kurapika said. "He's to blame. He manipulated you."

"But I stayed with him even when I knew. And when they got divorced, part of me still wanted it to work out with us. I was so selfish. But then he ran off with another girl and left town. That's when my stupidity became clear to me."

She looked away briefly as tears rolled down her face. "Sorry… I don't usually cry when I talk about this. Gosh, what is _up_ with me right now?"

"I'm sorry. That must have been very hard on you."

"I can empathize with you when you say that you can't forgive yourself, because I was in that place for a long time too. But the important thing to remember is that GOD forgives us through Christ when we accept Him. And if God says we are forgiven, we _are_ forgiven. After that whole incident, I felt convicted to take my faith seriously and actually pursue a relationship with Him. And now that I have, I know that I can never go back to the way I was before. He transforms us when we give our hearts to Him."

"I just don't know if I'm there yet."

"And that's okay. You should try talking to God sometime. Just, you know, when you're alone in your room. It might feel silly at first, but it won't be in vain. Tell Him your concerns and doubts. Talk to Him about your pain and anger. Yell and scream if you want to. He knows your heart. What is it that you want? Tell him the deep desires of your heart. He'll listen."

He simply sighed in contemplation.

"You know, Benji and I are leading a small group tonight and we'll be talking about giving your heart to God for the first time and what that looks like. You should come."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Alone in his room, laying flat on the bed and staring at the ceiling for hours, Kurapika finally closed his eyes and began what he imagined talking to God would be like. Rori's words from that morning were playing in his head and he figured he had nothing to lose by at least trying it out.

A whirlwind of emotions ran through him, and he let God know about all of it. He expressed his anger about his late clan, about the Troupe, about how empty and unfulfilled he felt even after accomplishing his mission.

_What is it that you want?_

Her words kept playing in his head on repeat.

_Tell Him the deep desires of your heart._

He rolled over onto his face as he thought about that, tears starting to stream down.

"I… I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to have a family again. I want to have… a _Father_ again."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

That night at small group, there was an informal altar call. People were given the chance to invite Christ into their hearts, and several did. Kurapika was one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Benji's speech was (mostly) quoted from John Cooper from Skillet. I don't take credit for it.
> 
> Same goes for that sermon part. That was all quoted from one of my favorite books, Letters from a Skeptic by Greg Boyd.


	2. A x New x Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for fluff overload towards the end. You have been warned.

The conference had been going on for about a month and a half at this point, with only a couple more weeks to go. Kurapika had been growing and maturing in his faith so well and very quickly, much to Rori's and Shea's pleasant surprise. He was taking it very seriously and spending all of his time trying to learn as much as he could. Changes in him were already evident.

Shea had become his official spiritual mentor and they met almost daily. He was very helpful in answering a lot of the "big" questions about Christianity, as were some of the other men in the group.

But even so, there were some things that Kurapika felt the most comfortable talking to Rori about. They had become good friends. She took a genuine interest in the Kurta clan and the culture and traditions they had, and would listen to Kurapika talk about it all for hours. And of course, his adventures with Pairo too. It meant the world to him. He had never met someone so interested, and it was nice to talk about the _happy_ times of his clan for a change.

She told him about Sasuke Uchiha, an old friend of her father's who had a very similar thing happen to his clan. The feeling of not being alone in that was surreal.

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During one of his mentoring sessions with Shea, the two got to talking about various people in Chi Alpha. And the topic of Rori came up.

"Their band is called Time Is Nothing," Shea said. "They mostly do covers, but they're starting to work on some original stuff. Rori used to be _so_ shy before joining the band, but she's grown so much. She has always been an insane drummer and vocalist, but she's so modest about it."

"They all seem very talented," Kurapika said.

"It'll be another thing to make her famous one of these days, I'm sure."

" _Another_ thing? What do you mean?"

"You mean you didn't know? She's the Kazekage's daughter."

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Standing outside the hotel, Kurapika was loosely demonstrating to Rori some of his chain abilities.

"You would make a way better shinobi than me," she joked.

"Why do you say that?"

"I never wanted to be one so I don't practice. There are just a couple little things I can do, but I'm not very good. Like…"

She proceeded to lift some sand off the ground and formed a small shield.

"That's still pretty impressive defense," he said.

"No, seriously, I'm not that good."

"You have a high standard to compare yourself to… don't you, daughter of the Kazekage?"

That statement shocked her.

"How did you…"

"Shea told me."

"Oh…"

Kurapika looked at her with a small glimpse of hurt in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"Well, I wasn't trying to hide it or anything. It's just not something I like to broadcast, because I don't want people treating me any differently just because of who I'm related to. I'm just a person, no better or more special than anyone else."

She sighed and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Well... it's not like I'm one to talk. I used to always refuse to even give my name out to people until I trusted them."

"I'll make it up to you. Let's take a walk around town, and you can ask me anything and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about myself and my family."

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The conference session for the night had ended and it was getting late. Most people had retired to their rooms for the night. Kurapika was lying awake, mulling over some faith questions he had, and just general life questions. He wanted to discuss them with Rori.

He then noticed a small spider on the wall. He had come a long way, so the sight of it didn't freak him out like it used to, but it still poked at some heart wounds.

Now he really wanted to talk to Rori.

It wasn't _terribly_ late just yet, so he figured she might still be awake. He made his way over to her room and quietly knocked on the door. Someone from the group passed by him in the hall and let him know that she left a little while ago.

He headed back downstairs, wondering if she was at the coffee shop or in the lounge by the arena.

A woman across the room noticed him searching around.

"Are you looking for someone?" she asked.

"Do you know where Rori went?"

"Sounds like we're looking for the same person. I'm actually her mentor. My name's Kayli."

"I'm Kurapika."

"Nice to meet you. Did you need her for something?"

"I just… wanted to talk to her about something."

"Gotcha. She left her notebook down here so I'm just trying to return it. Have you checked her room?"

"She's not there."

"Hmm, I wonder if she's hanging out in Wendy's room? Let's go check."

The two made their way to said room and knocked on the door. Wendy answered and, sure enough, there was Rori. But she was… crouched on the ground, hiding her head under some couch cushions and singing into them.

"Um… what are you doing there, Rori?" Kayli asked, laughing.

She came out from hiding and stood up, phone in hand.

"The band and I are working on a demo and I need to get these vocals recorded and sent. But the walls are thin here and it's late so I was trying to soundproof myself. A makeshift sound booth, if you will."

Just then, Kayli and Kurapika burst out laughing. It was the first time Kurapika laughed in years. It was a glorious sight.

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The conference was having an "off" day, encouraging people to go out and hang out with each other and just take a break from everything (which was especially nice for the staff).

"Hey, Kurapika!"

Rori called out to her friend outside the hotel. "What are you up to today?"

"I figured I'd take a walk around town and just have some alone time with God."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I tag along just for a little bit? I have to run to the bank up ahead, and I wanted to get your thoughts on some things."

"Sure thing."

The two made their way downtown, debriefing about the last couple days. Kurapika decided to go into the bank with her before setting out on his own.

As they stood in line, a man inside suddenly yelled out, "Everybody get down!"

Just then, a powerful slice of wind cut through the window and three men barged in.

Luckily there weren't many people inside at that time. One man pointed a weapon at an employee, demanding all of the money in her drawer.

Kurapika and Rori were hiding behind a counter, with the former trying to figure out a plan to take them down.

"Shinobi bandits…" Rori whispered. "Wind-style users like my aunt."

"I'll capture them with my chain jail and then we can get everyone to safety."

Kurapika came out of hiding and shot his chain at the man with the weapon, only to have it blown away by one of the other's wind jutsu. They then started to create large gusts of winds in multiple directions, making it hard to see or hear what was going on.

Kurapika turned around and noticed Rori huddled on the ground, hyperventilating. She had told him before about her struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and so he knew what was happening.

He retreated from the fight and went over to her, kneeling down and holding her close.

"I'm… sorry…" she managed through the heavy breathing.

"Don't be. Just breathe. I'm right here with you."

The gusts of wind kicked up stronger and he hugged her tighter. He did his best to shield her with his body from the vicious winds.

"Don't worry!" he shouted. "I swear on my life I won't leave you!"

Looking back up, Rori was in awe of this man. The man who was once so lost and depressed, and thinking about how far he'd come. Despite the chaos, this was the safest she'd ever felt during a panic attack.

Soon enough, the winds dissipated and the bandits were gone. Kurapika poked his head around the corner and scanned the room to see what damage was caused. Luckily it didn't look like much.

Looking down, Rori noticed her hand was interlocked with his. And when their eyes met, she felt her hand gently tighten around his, and after a moment of hesitation, he did the same. They both felt so weirdly safe in that moment.

"Is everyone all right?" a man called out.

"Yes. We're fine," an employee replied. "No one was harmed. They just took the money and left. But we don't keep large amounts in our drawers for this reason, so they didn't take much."

"What about you?" Kurapika asked Rori, hands still interlocked. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah… I'm good."

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Police were investigating the scene, but Rori and Kurapika had made their way back to the hotel, informing the leaders of what happened.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurapika asked his friend. Though she didn't seem it, he was still worried that she was shaken up from the incident.

"I promise I'm okay," she said with a smile. "I'm no stranger to the culture we live in. I know that there are people who abuse their power and that anything can happen anywhere at any time. It's just that, once my mind goes into panic, it's like logic shuts off and I can't do anything. I get so worried about what might happen to the people I love."

"I'll… I'll always protect you," were the words that slipped out of his mouth, shocking him a bit. Light blushes were still on their faces.

"Those shinobi weren't terribly strong; they just caught everyone off guard," someone told the leaders. "Because these kinds of things rarely ever happen these days. We should all be okay here, but we'll have security guard the place just in case."

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It was starting to get late and people had pretty much calmed down after everything. There was word that the bandits had been apprehended.

Kurapika was walking Rori up to her room.

"So you're sure you'll be okay tonight?" he asked once more. "If you ever feel unsafe in the slightest, just call me. I have no problem sitting outside your door and keeping guard, or…"

"Kurapika," she cut in, gently placing a hand on his. "You're sweet, but I'm okay. I promise. I am an amateur kunoichi, after all," she said with a wink.

A small blush spread across his face as he forced the next couple words out.

"So… earlier…"

"Yeah."

They both knew, long before that day. They really didn't even need to say anything.

"I uh… I think this goes without saying," he said, "but I would love to take you out sometime."

She smiled warmly. "I'd love that too."

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_Several dates later…_

The two were at a coffee shop, per usual. They both liked to keep things simple. Just having lunch or coffee together and talking was more than enough.

Kurapika's phone lay in the middle of the table. Rori slowly pushed it towards him, grinning.

"You can do it," she said.

"I really don't know what to say or how to begin," he replied.

"Your friends still love you. I'm sure of it."

"There's no way of knowing that."

"Well, even in the worst case scenario, once you call, you'll know you reached out and at least tried to make amends. If things go badly, I'm right here with you."

He sighed and stared at the phone for several long moments, before finally picking it up.

Rori had never seen a person dial a phone so slowly, but it was to be expected.

After a few moments, someone picked up.

"...Hello?" Kurapika began. "...Leorio? It's me."

Kurapika made calls to all his closest friends, apologizing profusely for disappearing on them. Leorio, Gon, Killua, Melody; and he made sure to call the Nostrade mansion as well, apologizing for leaving without a word and explaining what had happened and that he was okay.

And much to his relief, they all forgave him and were simply overjoyed to hear from him. He thanked God for that.

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At long last, the Chi Alpha conference came to an end. Everyone was finishing up packing and cleaning up the arena.

Kurapika was helping Rori bring down her belongings, as he didn't have much himself.

"So… you're _sure_ it's okay for me to come with you to Sunakagure? Positive?" he asked nervously.

"I promise you, it's _more_ than okay. My family is excited to meet you!"

"I'm more nervous than anything," he said, scratching his head. "I'll be meeting the Kazekage, after all."

"Don't be nervous. I know my dad will like you."

"I certainly hope you're right…"

"I let my mom know to get a vacant apartment at the estate ready for you, so it should all be good to go when we get there. And the folks back at the Nostrade mansion are shipping the rest of your stuff, right?"

"Most of it. I want to be the one to transport the eyes of my clan. They're too precious to be left in the hands of the postal service. And I need to say goodbye to everyone. I owe them at least that much; especially after how I treated them towards the end."

"You're much kinder than you give yourself credit for."

"You think too highly of me," he said, smiling warmly at her.

"Well, I guess we should head to the train station now before we get stranded here for another day."

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The temperature had increased significantly. They were definitely in the desert.

"We're finally here."

Stepping off the train onto Sunagakure grounds, the two said goodbye to their friends who were going different ways.

"Good luck, man," Shea said to Kurapika, offering a handshake. "I'll be in touch in a couple weeks, okay?"

"Sounds good. I can't thank you enough for everything."

"Don't mention it."

The two lovers started making their way to the Kage mansion. Rori was giving him some last pointers about her family and the estate.

"The elders on the council are pretty big on appearances and formalities, but once you're in and they know you, they'll be a lot more laid back," she said.

"And my brother Shinki? He'll probably seem grumpy and distant at first, but he's actually very nice. Trust me. I think you two will really get along."

In due time, they approached the doors. When the guards opened them and led them to a large living room, all three of Rori's family members were there waiting.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Rori called out, going to hug them all.

The nervous hunter slowly entered the room, but was relieved to be greeted with warm smiles.

"You must be the famous Kurapika," Rori's mother said, approaching him. "I'm Harley, Rori's mom. I've heard a lot of awesome things about you. This girl seems to like you quite a bit."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am" he said, when suddenly, Harley gave him a long hug.

" _Welcome to the family."_

Those four words instantly brought him to tears.

_I… have a family again?_

"We're so happy you're here," she continued.

His hands were trembling as he tried to reciprocate the hug.

"I don't… deserve this…" he managed.

"Not true," Rori said. "You're home now."

She took her mother's place in the embrace and held her beau until he was able to compose himself again.

Eventually he shook hands with the person he was most nervous about meeting.

"It's truly an honor to meet you, Lord Kazekage."

"You can drop the formalities. Please just call me Gaara," he said, shaking his hand.

"I'm honored… Gaara."

"And this over here is my big bro Shinki," Rori said, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. "He's being shy, but he's glad to meet you too," she teased.

"I hope you know that I'm very protective of my sister," Shinki said, not sounding nearly as intimidating as he thought.

"Yes, I'm aware," Kurapika said. "I have every intention of loving your sister to the best of my abilities, every single day. And if I ever slip up, I welcome you to do whatever you wish to correct my behavior."

"Well, you're already better than the last guy, at least," Shinki said, giving the slightest smirk.

Kurapika turned to face the whole family.

"I love Rori very much," he began. "And while Christ is first in my heart, she is a close second and I promise to do everything in my power to treat her well and make sure she feels loved every day. She means the world to me and I've never been happier than I am spending time with her. She helped lead me to Christ. She helped me remember good times in my life. She taught me to laugh again. I know that someone like me doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as her, but she has graciously given me a chance anyway. If I can make her even half as happy as she makes me, I'll consider our relationship a success."

Harley pointed at him while looking at Rori. "You picked a good one this time."

The whole family approved.

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_A couple months later…_

"You've made quick progress, young man," an elder said to Kurapika. "It's quite impressive."

"It's because I've had such excellent leadership."

"I'm happy to inform you that you've received approval from every member on the board. Welcome to the council."

"I am truly honored. I promise to give my all to the welfare of this village and its people."

He turned to Gaara and Kankuro, who had become his mentors in combat training and political matters. They were so proud of him.

Once the formalities were done and all the paperwork was signed, everyone exited Gaara's office. Everyone except Gaara and Kurapika.

"Congratulations again," Gaara said.

"I can't thank you enough for this opportunity."

"I have strong faith in you. I know you'll be a valuable part of the team."

"Um… Lord Gaara?"

"You can drop the 'lord.' Just call me Gaara."

"Right, sorry. Is it all right if I ask you something personal?"

"What is it?"

"It's just that… you know that I want to be the best man I can be for Rori, because she deserves nothing less. And when I look at you and Harley, and your love for each other, I can't help but aspire to be like you. I want to follow your example. So I guess my question is, do you have any advice you can offer me?"

Gaara leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment, trying to think of something that wasn't obvious or that Kurapika wasn't already doing well.

"Be careful not to idolize each other," he finally said.

"How do you mean?"

"For a long time, I considered Harley to be my entire world, and believed that I would be nothing without her. And that was a mistake on my part. Though she's always wonderful and I love her immensely, that was too much pressure to put on her. She's not God. Only God can be God, and to try to make another person a god in your life is simply not fair to them. No one can live up to that."

"I see."

"It's very easy to fall into, so just be sure that you're on guard."

"Understood."

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"Dang, this place is huge! But it's nothing like your family's mansion, Killua."

"I imagine this place is much more pleasant though," Killua said.

"Gon! Killua!" an out-of-breath Leorio huffed. "Way to leave me behind!"

"You were too slow," Killua sneered.

"Well, what matters is that we're here, right?" Gon said cheerfully. "Now let's go see Kurapika!"

The guards let the three into the estate, as they were expected guests. They made their way to the main living room, where their friend was waiting.

"KURAPIKA!" Gon shouted, as he immediately went up to glomp his friend.

"Heh… nice to see you too, Gon."

"Yo," Killua said with a nonchalant wave, though he was honestly excited too.

"Thanks for coming. It's so good to see you all."

"And about time!" Leorio sneered. "Don't think that we're done discussing things! Phone call explanations alone will not suffice."

"No worries. I'll tell you everything you want to know. I owe you all at least that much."

It was crazy. Though his appearance had hardly changed, his friends barely recognized him. He was a changed man.

Just then, Rori entered the room.

"Sorry I'm late! The band held me up."

"Is this the girlfriend you were telling us about?" Gon asked.

"Yes. Everyone, this is Rori Greene."

"Hi! I'm Gon!" the spiky-haired kid blurted out. "It's nice to finally meet you!"

"You as well."

Killua got closer to examine this individual, scratching his chin.

"Um… hi there," Rori said, a little confused. "You must be Killua."

"Hm… so you're the one, huh?" Killua asked sarcastically.

"I believe we spoke on the phone once," Rori said to Leorio. "It's good to finally meet you in person."

"Uh… the pleasure is mine," he replied shyly.

"This is awesome!" Gon said. "It's been too long since we were all together like this."

The five of them sat down and talked for hours. And Kurapika's three friends completely approved of Rori. They had never seen their friend so happy and free.

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_The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. -Psalm 34:18_

_My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. -Psalm 51:17_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely, 100% stan Chi Alpha IRL. They were my main ministry when I was in college and a little after, and they are phenomenal. I didn't feel like coming up with a fake name for a ministry group so I brought them into this story lol.
> 
> I'm superrrrr new to the HxH fandom, so cut me some slack if I got some stuff wrong lol
> 
> Sorry for the sappiness but I'm a fluff addict, and a lot of this was literally based off of a dream so...


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